Beyond the Mists of Time: Eric Northman, Byzantine
by Proud Midwesterner
Summary: In 1152 Constantinople, a Viking vampire is slowly losing his humanity and embracing his vampiric side. But one human girl revives his curiosity, and something more...
1. Beyond the Mists of Time

Let us go back 850 years to see a younger Eric, a mere 150 years after being turned, and thus my interpretation of a more "human" Eric...

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><p><em>Pater hêmôn ho en toes ouranoes<em>

The chanting of the Orthodox priest was a soothing rhythm to Eric Northman, the midnight mass echoing in the towering dome above him. He stood in a group of Byzantine noblemen, his height and blond hair distinguishing him from the vibrantly colored gowns. To the Byzantine court, he was a special envoy from exotic lands to the north. But really he was a full-blooded Viking, a two hundred year old vampire, and already he had seen many lifetimes of history. He had been among the first Europeans in North America at Vinland, he had traveled through a vast land of Slavic peasants that one day would be Russia, and he had fought on the soil of England.  
>Now, he was listening to the Lord's Prayer in Greek in Hagia Sophia, the pride of Constantinople. The city was the largest in the world and was the main link between East and West. Eric loved the teeming, filthy, bustling city. In particular, he loved the women of Constantinople. Fair-haired Europeans, dark-skinned Egyptians, wives of Indian traders, the local Greek women-all the world was in Constantinople.<br>He leaned to the man next to him and made a joke about this, and the man chuckled. His name was Heroditus, and he was Eric's closest friend at this time. Heroditus was an ancient vampire who had rubbed shoulders with Socrates and Plato, and now was Eric's main guide around Constantinople. He had also taught Eric fluent Greek, the main language of the city. At this time, Eric did not know English, which was the tongue of a small-but growing powerful-island two thousand miles away. In 1152, Eric was a Greek-speaking Viking, and a proud Byzantine.

On Christmas night, Eric strode into the main banquet hall of Emperor Manuel Komnenos. The Byzantine Empire was the richest country in Europe, and the Emperor was seated on a brilliant gold throne, holding his infant daughter. Noblemen and their families mingled in the lavish hall, and Eric greeted several he knew by name. He had a reputation as a great dancer, and throughout the next several hours, noblewomen lined up for the chance to dance with this mysterious foreigner with the cold hands. (He easily explained away this hint at his identity as a sign of the cold lands he came from. The twelfth century was a time of superstition and legend, and to the people of Constantinople, this was reason enough.)  
>Around ten o'clock according to the water clock against one wall, Eric saw an attractive woman giggling with a group of her attendants. She was young, seventeen perhaps, and was dressed in a flowing white gown, her dark hair up in an old Roman hairstyle. Heroditus saw Eric looking at her, and chuckled. "That young lady is the niece of the Emperor's cousin. She's unmarried, which distresses her mother to no end. Go on, Eric, if you're feeling courageous," he teased.<br>Eric laughed. "I think I will. Wish me luck, old friend," although Eric knew he didn't need luck.  
>He strolled up to the woman and smiled. "Excuse me, may I dance?" he said with a wink. To his surprise, she didn't accept right away but turned to one of her friends. "Hmm, should I go with this guy or make him keep asking all night?" She and the friend laughed and walked off. Eric was intrigued now. Seldom did he meet someone who played hard-to-get, and this gal was now a challenge to him.<br>Eric walked up next to her, and he decided to try flattery. "I have heard you are an excellent dancer, and-"  
>"You want to see for yourself?" She laughed again. "Why shall you choose you, good sir, to dance?"<br>"Well, I am an envoy for a far-off land, in the Emperor's favor."  
>She smiled, "I have studied geography. From which land do you come, Sir...?"<br>"Eric is my given name, as I am Swedish." _This girl must be educated. This is strange, how she's getting me to tell her all this._  
>"I have wanted to see the lands to the North. My name is Zoë Nakratous, and you may dance with me."<p>

As they danced, Eric tried to find out more about this Zoë, but she often answered him in riddles. She was intelligent and playful, and the Viking was very curious about her. To Zoë, all this was like a game. She teased him about his height and laughed, her smiling face beaming up at him.  
>"Would you like to see the palace gardens, Zoë?"<br>"Would it be proper for a lady like me to do such a thing?" She batted her eyes.  
>Eric grinned. "Of course not."<br>"Then I say it's a good idea. Come on, Swedish fellow." She turned and darted out of the hall, a few nobles following her with their eyes. Then they turned in mass to Eric, who smiled back (focusing very intently on not accidentally showing his fangs). Emperor Manuel laughed and called for some more mead, and everyone went back to dancing and eating. Eric took the opportunity to slip out after Zoë.

He found her looking at a pale white flower. She turned to him.  
>"Do you think this is a pretty flower?" She pointed to a group of magnolias imported from the East. "It's certainly pale." She looked at him, and crossed her arms. "Now, can I call you Eric?"<br>Eric nodded. _Oh no, I knew she's too smart. She knows, doesn't she?_  
>She continued. "If I may cut to the chase, you are as pale as this flower. Now, I have read quite a bit, and I have searched out many legends. I am my father's only child, and he secretly taught me to read and write."<br>"That's remarkable, Zoë. I learned to read Greek only recently, and I cannot write very well yet. I like the old histories, to read about Rome and the old Emperors."  
>Zoë nodded, and rattled on in teenage enthusiasm. "Like I said, I've heard a lot of legends. I'm fascinated by the things the church won't talk about. Men who turn into animals, ghosts from the past, the demons the priests fear so much."<br>"They have good reason to fear them." Eric said. Zoë's mouth fell open.  
>"Those things exist? I'm wondering in particular about a creature from the western mountains. Pale, cold men who rise at night and feed on blood. They're called, something, I can't remember what. Vem-, voom—"<br>"Vampires," said Eric right before he caught his mouth in surprise to block the Serbian word.  
>"I got you!" Zoë was beaming and bouncing up and down. "Do you know any? Are they real? I so want to meet one!" She stared at his mouth, a sly grin on her face, and grabbed his hand. "Cold," she said excitedly. "By Christ's wounds, you are one—"<br>"Zoë!" boomed Eric. "You can't tell anyone! I'd be killed, there'd be panic—"  
>"So you are one! I found a vampire!" She clapped her hands and ran in a little circle. "Can I see your fangs? Do you have them? So, you can bite people?" She pestered him with questions, cocking her head in amusement.<br>"Yes, aren't you nervous? We are dangerous." he said, seeing if this strange girl could be frightened.  
>"Bullocks. People can be just as dangerous. Beyond Constantinople are so many barbarians and wars and cruel men. That's why I stay home and read. So can I see your fangs?"<br>Eric swallowed. This girl was making him nervous precisely because she was not. He nodded, and felt the fangs sliding out of his gum. He opened his mouth to show the sharp teeth, and Zoë gasped. "Wow." She giggled again, and started skipping back to the hall, but Eric grabbed her arm.  
>"Zoë, do not tell anyone. Do you hear me? No one, not even your friends! My life is in your hands."<br>She smiled. "My lips are sealed, Eric." She walked away, humming a church tune under her breath. Eric leaned against a bush, and sighed. He had just broken a fundamental rule: never show yourself to a human. But this girl, Zoë, was _different_. Eric walked through the garden, through a gate and disappeared into the dense city, to find Heroditus. He would know what to do about the girl.

"She sounds intriguing enough." Heroditus was laughing and leaning back into his stuffed chair. "So you say she's a brunette? I remember the fun I had with brunettes back in the old nights. Of course, I was extremely careful to cover my trail." His face got deadly serious. "This is an age of superstition and religion. This girl sounds intelligent. She should be able to keep her mouth shut. And if not, go for her jugular." He shrugged.  
>"Heroditus! The strange thing is, I don't want to bite her."<br>"Oh dear, that would be a problem now."  
>Eric continued. "I've never met anyone like her. She's beautiful, intelligent, humorous, <em>unafraid<em>…Such an unusual girl. I haven't felt something like this since, well, human days."  
>Heroditus laughed and drained his cup, wet with blood from an unfortunate woman. "I have seen sixteen hundred years now. And this is a new situation to me. I say wait and see. She should be able to keep quiet. I have a good feeling about this. Good luck, Eric."<br>The Viking laughed. "She is a special gal." He raised his glass of scarlet. "To Zoë."  
>"To Constantinople."<p> 


	2. Out of Time and Place

To Zoë, a line not to be crossed is a challenge, including the social mores of the twelfth century. Also, I've done my best to make this story historically accurate.

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><p>After the Christmas celebration, Eric stayed away from court in the hope that if Zoë did spill his secret, no one would believe her and no one would try to confront him. Reassuringly, from his nightly prowls in the city's underbelly, he heard no rumors about any vampire, and neither had Heroditus.<br>"Perhaps the human did keep her mouth shut, Northie. My advice would be to return to court, see if you're treated any differently. If you're greeted with stakes, we know she told," he chortled.  
>Eric was pacing back and forth nervously. One hundred fifty years (after the turning) was an awkward age for a vampire, as the immortal slowly shifted from a cautious existence into a long-term stability. It also was an age where self-confidence was not a good trait for a vampire as they struggled to find their place.<br>"You know, Eric, it's common for a vampire to search for a companion around the same age you are."  
>"No, I don't want anything serious to develop. I like the games I play at night."<br>"Oh really? Then why are you pacing? And it's not because you're afraid of attack. If you were a target, you'd have been attacked by now."  
>Eric looked up with a shocked expression. "But I've kept everything about myself secret. I've been welcome in Constantinople for forty years now. How could anyone leave a <em>vampire<em> in their midst unharmed for so long?"  
>"Because no one can be sure. Eric, be glad we live in a time when anything can be believed and denied. If these humans ever start figuring things out, start deciding what is dangerous and what should be destroyed—" Heroditus shuddered. "We survivors would be driven into hiding. That was our situation at the height of the Roman Empire. Vampires were supposedly imaginary monsters, scary nightmares. None of us could live in a city and not be driven out, staked, and wiped from memory."<br>"And all this has to do with me how?" Eric had heard this lesson from the ancient vampire several times over.  
>Heroditus frowned. "Because you showed yourself to a <em>human girl<em>, you fool! You are correct, your life is in her hands now."  
>Eric stood up. "I will find her, and I'll talk to her. I think she knows the significance of this. But I will verify for myself. She will do the right thing, I am sure of it."<br>"And if she does not? If she cannot keep quiet about our community?"  
>"Then she has no choice but to join us," growled the Viking.<br>"Ah ha, Northie. I thought you said you didn't want to touch her."  
>Eric opened his mouth to reply, but turned and stalked out the door, deep in brooding thought at the situation he was in.<p>

On New Year's Eve, his worst fears would be calmed. As soon as the Sun was down, there was a knock on the door of the large house Eric occupied. Eric opened the door grumbling at the timing as he was still in a house robe, and found to his surprise a courier, clearly from a well-to-do family, holding a letter on parchment. "Are you the Swedish envoy?" asked the courier somewhat nervously of the tall man.  
>"Yes. And you would be?"<br>"The messenger for the Nakratous family. I have a letter to you from the young lady."  
>Eric's eyebrows went up. The courier gave Eric the letter, bowed in respect, and walked away.<br>Eric unfolded the letter, his eyes running over the delicate Greek text. There was only one line.

_Meet me in the garden after dark. Zoë._  
>Eric chuckled. "Well, well, what do we have here?" He folded the letter back up, and quickly got dressed.<p>

True to her word, Zoë was waiting in the same spot they had talked a few nights earlier. Her eyes lit up when she saw the tall Viking.  
>"Hello, Eric. I've been a good girl, haven't told a soul. Helen, my friend, thinks I am at the palace ball right now."<br>Eric sighed in relief. "You've done well. I've been thinking about you, about last week."  
>"Oh, you <em>have<em>?" Zoë had a playful gleam to her eyes that set the cautious vampire on edge. "I'll admit, I've been wondering too. I have a lot of questions for you."  
>Eric laughed. "You certainly are eager. Are you sure you did not tell anyone who I am?"<br>Zoë shook her head. "You said you'd be killed. That is the last thing I'd want."  
>That sentence touched something deep within him. "Thank you," he said honestly. They walked in silence for a short time, Zoë sorting through questions in her head.<br>"So can you be out at day at all?"  
>"No. Bad things happen very quickly. The warm summer sun is something I will never know again. You are lucky that you still can."<br>"Is it lonely being a vampire?"  
>Zoë's question caught Eric unaware. He opened his mouth to say no, thinking of the women he had seduced, the nobles he knew. But did he really know any of them? He realized that this girl was unique, that she was reviving the long-hidden human part of him, that she made him realize just how lonely he had been.<br>"Yes. I cannot show my true self in any public setting, I have to constantly keep that part of me down." He cocked his head. "You are the first human I've told any of this."  
>"I feel honored." Zoë was entranced by the mystery surrounding this man, and pleased by how talkative she had gotten him to be. Eric looked her up and down, wondering just what an attractive young woman was doing out alone this late in such a big city.<br>"What do your parents think about you being out so often?"  
>Zoë looked down. "My father is in Bulgaria, and my mother passed when I was born."<br>"I'm sorry to hear that." Eric nodded. "I've lost people too."  
>Zoë looked at him. "When you became a-a vampire, did it, well, hurt?"<br>"Yes." Eric's blue eyes were piercing in the cool night air. "Having a two-inch fang sliding into your neck? Of course it did. But the pain quickly fades to nothing."  
>"I can't imagine that." Zoë was shaking her head. "How old were you?"<br>"I was in my mid-twenties. I've forgotten most of it. Being turned is not something to remember." He shook his head as a lump formed in his throat, and Zoë quickly changed the topic, and shocked the Viking.  
>"Yeah. I read a scroll a few months ago that had a story on it about a man who was made into a vampire by the most beautiful woman in the village." She smirked. "It went into a lot of detail about what precisely the man and woman did. My father had it hidden deep inside a jar in his room. That tale certainly was...<em>informative<em>." She laughed, and Eric was startled by her candor, trying to think of what would be a suitable reply. He decided there was none. He laughed with her, and looked out to the ships at sea.  
>"I'll tell you, the thing I miss most is the feel of a boat out on the ocean on a breezy day. Have you heard of the Vikings, Zoë?"<br>She nodded. "Although I haven't read much about them."  
>"I have several of the old epics written down in Swedish. I could probably put them in Greek for you."<br>"I'd like that." She reached out and ran a hand up his arm, feeling the soft fabric. Eric shot her a dark look, and she stopped.  
>"I'm sorry, Zoë, but this still doesn't feel right. I'm a vampire, something no other human knows but you. I have to go." He turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand.<br>"So what if this isn't right? Eric, for years I have been trapped at home with nothing but parchment and knitting. If my father had his way, I'd be married to some count as old as he is. You're different. You're from another land, you know so much, you're something _forbidden_. Please stay, Eric." She gazed up at him.  
>Eric's mind was racing. One part of him wanted to get away from this situation, to get away form the strange pull of this girl who was so unafraid. But another part was urging him to stay and see what happens. Zoë reached up and touched his cool cheek. <em>Too close, Eric, too soon, you're crossing a line, it never turns out well—<em>  
>In the distance, a church bell started ringing, and Zoë smiled. The bells marked the start of <em>anno domini<em> 1153, and Zoë knew what to do. She stood on tiptoes as Eric gave in and bent down, their lips meeting in a kiss, the first of Zoë's life. It started out chaste, but Zoë quickly grabbed his head. Eric could tell she was inexperienced, but the passion she was putting into the embrace was both arousing and scaring him. Just what was it about Zoë Nakratous?  
>Suddenly, he felt his fangs pop out and Zoë jerked away with a cry. Eric clasped his hand to his mouth as Zoë dabbed at her lip, blood pooling. "Are—are you all right?"<br>Zoë looked up with a frightened expression.  
>Eric gulped. "You should be home." Zoë nodded voicelessly. As she walked out of the garden, Eric followed behind to ensure she made it safely. He tasted a coppery liquid on his fang: blood.<p>

_Zoë's blood._


	3. Time to Advance

So here is Part 3, and Eric can either break things off with Zoë, or let things go even farther beyond the proper line. But, he has had her blood, and blood never lets a vampire think straight. This bit is shorter than the others; I had written a lot more detail to one scene that would have kicked this up to M, but wasn't necessary.

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><p>Instead of going to his home, Eric hurried through the back alleys of Constantinople. <em>I bit her I bit her, what have I done?<em> The Viking knocked on the door of Theodosius, the vampire sheriff of the Constantinople area who secretly lived above a merchant's store. The door opened and Eric burst in.  
>"I bit a human!"<br>Theodosius was unimpressed. "And that is why you have those fangs. So?"  
>"She's <em>fascinated<em> by me, not scared at all! And she's the emperor's great-niece."  
>Theodosius was paying attention now. "You bit a member of the royal family? Well, is she still breathing?"<br>Eric nodded. "But she's kept my identity secret for a week now." He allowed himself to smile. "I think I've gotten myself involved in something juicy here."  
>Theodosius shrugged. "If you're happy with your pet and she says quiet, why are you bothering me about it?"<br>"Because I crossed a fundamental line! I bit her but I did not turn her!"  
>The sheriff stayed quiet. He had a reputation for not really caring about anything not involving money, and Eric realized he wasn't getting any help from him. Eric bowed in respect and left.<p>

To Eric's surprise, Heroditus was not surprised either. "What did you expect with a vampire and a human, Eric?"  
>"But now she's running around with a vampire bite on her lip!"<br>"If you're so concerned about her, find her and turn her. That'll settle this all down."  
>"But I don't want to turn her!"<br>"No, Northie, you want to hold on to the last bit of humanity you have left." Heroditus took a drink as Eric glared at him.  
>"She is not my 'last bit of humanity!' Zoë is a—" He struggled for the right word.<br>"Pet to you."  
>"No."<br>"Hmm-hmm."  
>"No she is not!"<br>And Eric stormed out swearing in Old Swedish.

The next time he saw Zoë was in a hallway at court. He pulled her aside into a room.  
>"Are you alright, Zoë?"<br>She nodded. "It stopped hurting really quickly. So, you can bite someone without making them a vampire?"  
>"Yes, I have to drain the person to death first." As he said death she flinched.<br>Eric noticed the motion. "See Zoë, that's what I am, death frozen in place."  
>She shook her head. "I don't believe that."<br>"Well, I do."  
>She arched an eyebrow. "You're tense tonight."<br>"Oh _really_?" Eric regretted the words as soon as he said them, as Zoë stared back with a shocked look on her face. "Ah dear, I'm sorry. It's just, this is new to me—"  
>Zoë started laughing. "You've been around for two hundred years and this is new to you?"<br>"Well, yes. Usually it's a one time thing between a woman and I. You're the first in a long time that I've just merely talked to."  
>"And you're the first man I've allowed to keep getting this close to me. Since the late Emperor was my mother's uncle, I have had many suitors. But, like Odysseus' wife, I've turned them all away."<br>"Why? Surely you know that marriage is inevitable nowadays."  
>"I know, Eric. But young men can seed their wild oats. Why can't I have some fun before I settle down?"<br>"But society doesn't work like that—"  
>"Oh, so now the vampire is going to inform me about what society says is proper?" She laughed. She smiled, and cocked her head. "Do you like my company?"<br>"Well, yes, but—" She walked slowly around him, Eric turning to keep his eyes on this girl, on the playful smile on her face. "For so long, I have only read about things, great things." She closed the door and slid a piece of metal through the handle, locking it. Silver, Eric realized. The vampire was in an odd place indeed: trapped by a human woman.  
>"So what exactly do you like about me?"<br>Eric gulped with trepidation—and anticipation.  
>"Well, you're curious, you are smart"—he was up against a wall—"you are doing this without any fear whatsoever."<br>"Who says I'm unafraid? I'm drawn to you precisely because you are something out of a whispered story. You are something forbidden, not allowed, and all my life I've been a good girl."  
>She brought his head down so she could whisper in his ear.<br>"I'm tired of being a good girl."

After Zoë had left with a smile and a kiss, Eric pranced about, a grin on his face. Sure, he had gone farther with Zoë than any vampire should with a human, but she had been so eager. She had seduced _him_, he thought with a laugh. Then, a lead thought hit his mind. He had just deflowered a Byzantine noblewoman in an age when a woman was measured by marriage, and marriage by virginity. But why was she so willing?

"You WHAT?" Heroditus dropped his glass.  
>Eric grinned and leaned against a stand.<br>Heroditus shook his head. "A Byzantine lady who is still human? God help you, Eric."  
>Eric shrugged. "She was willing, and what is the problem?"<br>"For starters, did you leave a serious bite?"  
>"Not where anyone else would see it."<br>Heroditus stared, aghast. "In sixteen centuries, I have never took a human woman and let her live to talk about it. You are much bolder than I would have ever guessed you, Northman."  
>"Well, it is a new age. The Queen of France divorced her husband*, there are young widows who refuse to remarry. Perhaps Zoë will never marry."<br>"It is a new age. The vampires in China have been driven underground." He pointed to a letter, written on a rare Chinese invention, paper. "Good Lord, Eric, if news spreads about this? A monster ravaging the young women of the court."  
>"We aren't monsters, and Zoë is not a typical young woman."<br>"We are dealing with humans here, Northie. They will believe anything. That's the main reason you can walk around at court, passing yourself off as a strange foreigner." He shook his head. "You have made a grave error, Eric. You are getting too sure of yourself over one girl."  
>The Viking smiled. "I do not think so. I have taken a risk, yes, but it has paid off beautifully." He grinned and strode out of the room.<p>

The ancient vampire poured himself another glass of dark red. "We will see, Eric. We will see."

* * *

><p>Alas, this is 1153, when the vampires are considered dangerous monsters. Take note of what happened to the Chinese vampires. In Part 4, we will see the solution to the Eric-Zoë situation, and then we will see the last straw for Eric that forces him out of his beloved Constantinople. Beware, history is seldom kind.<p>

* - The Queen is Eleanor of Aquitaine, who divorced King Louis VII of France and quickly remarried to the soon-to-be Henry II of England.


	4. Time to Retreat

Zoë was beaming as she entered her room. Since her father was over in Bulgaria, she was staying at the house of her friend Helena, the girl Eric had seen her with at the Christmas banquet. It was late, going on one in the morning, and Zoë noticed Helena's parents were asleep. Helena was still awake, waiting for her friend.  
>"Goodness, Zoë, where were you?"<br>"Relax, Lena. I'm fine. I'm more than fine." She smiled, and Helena's eyes widened.  
>"Oh no, Zoë, you didn't go with that man from the dance, did you? I don't like the look he had."<br>"Why? You're not my father." Zoë slid out of her dress to climb into bed, but she had forgotten a certain new feature on her.  
>"Lord in heaven, what is that?" Helena peered at the two red dots below Zoë's collarbone.<br>Zoë waved her hand. "It's just a bug bite."  
>"What kind of bug leaves that?" The two dots were right next to each other, a bit less than an inch apart, and the sheen of dried blood could just be seen around it.<br>Helena's jaw dropped. "_What_ was that man from the dance, and what did you do with him?"  
>Zoë smiled. "We both enjoyed it. When you get a husband, you'll know what we did," she teased.<br>Helena shook her head. "I know you really don't care what's proper and not, but that was wrong, Zoë."  
>"So?" Zoë crawled into bed, and Helena sighed.<p>

The next morning, the two young women were dressing, and Zoë was becoming impatient with Helena, who was barely talking to her. After a short time, Zoë tossed down her hairbrush in anger.  
>"What is it, Helena?"<br>"Well, I don't like what you did with that man."  
>"Why? What does it have to do with you?"<br>"Come on, Zoë, I'm your friend. I don't want to see you hurt."  
>"Helena, I'm not being hurt. The feelings I've found, I can't describe-"<br>"You're acting like a harlot."  
>"<em>Excuse me?"<em>  
>"A harlot, going off with that man. The church says you should wait-"<br>"Phooey with the old priests."  
>"Zoë! But you wouldn't be saved-"<br>"Who says I am going to die?" Zoë grinned. Helena gasped.  
>"If you keep seeing him, I don't want you around then. Who knows what that man could do-"<br>"He has a name, you know."  
>"And I know you know a lot more about him than I ever would! You've gone loose!"<br>"Because I seized the opportunity." Zoë stood up, a strange light in her eyes. Helena stammered.  
>"I-I don't want to see you again!" And the girl ran from the room screaming. Zoë shook her head. <em>She'll calm down.<em>But Zoë didn't expect Helena's parents to have the same opinion as their daughter, and to cast the noblewoman right out. Zoë had no choice but to try and talk to her cousin, the Emperor himself, but before she got to him, a courier found her and gave her a letter that shattered her world.

Zoë knocked on Eric's door. The Viking opened to find her standing there, tears running down her face.  
>"What happened?" he asked before she shoved a piece of parchment into his hands and ran past, sobbing. Eric unfolded the paper, scanned it, and instantly realized why she was so upset. The letter was from the officials in Sofia, notifying the poor woman that her father had been killed in an accident near the Danube River.<br>Eric let her sink into him, sobbing. For a long time, he let her curl up next to him. The main feeling coursing through the Viking was pity for her, as he still recalled the pain of losing everyone from his human life. And now this poor girl was an orphan and an outcast. He whispered in her ear. "I know exactly what you're going through. You can stay here if you want."  
>She nodded. "I remember reading with him, riding by his side in Greece."<br>Eric rubbed her head. "What about your friends, do they know?"  
>"Helena threw me out this morning because I spent so much time with you." Her voice sounded weary.<br>"I am sorry." Eric's blue eyes peered into the distance, as if he was wrestling with an idea.  
>"I have no one left but you."<br>"But you _do_ have me."  
>Zoë looked up. "But you've said that a human and a vampire never works out."<br>Eric hesitated before saying, "There is always something new."  
>"You waited before saying that. Eric, you're the only one I have."<br>"Now Zoë, that's not true. You have your cousin, the Emperor-"  
>"Who is over in Sicily running around. He doesn't care. I'm just another helpless cousin to take care of, and I don't like it. I'm done with this life!"<br>"Zoë! Don't say that. You have a good life ahead of you"  
>"Like what? Marrying some old nobleman who hates the fact that I can read and only wants me to pump out child after child until I'm worn out? I'd rather die than face that!"<br>Eric knew what she would say next, and realized why she was so fascinated with him: he was her way out of a boring existence.

"I want you to turn me."

Eric nodded. "You should think carefully about that choice. You would become a vampire, something reviled by everyone you know. I will give you until tomorrow at dark. If you are still serious, come here, and it will happen." Zoë nodded, and left. It took a few moments for the significance of what he had just done to hit Eric. If this plan was carried out, this woman that had so entranced him would be by his side forever. The prospect filled Eric with glee. _I must tell someone about this._

Heroditus heard the news, and smiled. "She will be welcome. I feel for the poor girl, losing her father at such a tender age."  
>Eric nodded. "Yes, it is. I still remember the pain of losing my parents. But Zoë will not lose me."<br>Heroditus grinned. "Well then, what are you waiting for?"

The next day, Zoë arrived right after sundown. She had meticulously prepared herself, dressed in her finest gown. All day, Eric had been pacing back and forth. He knew the headstrong young woman would arrive, and the whole day he had talked himself out of doing it, then right back into doing it. He had turned several people before, but Zoë was the first person that he had planned to turn. She looked up at Eric. "Have you done this before?"  
>"I have, several times, to both men and women. Now, Zoë, this process can't be undone. Once we do this, we've done this for good."<br>"I understand.." She leaned up, and he kissed her, instinct rising in him. The gown slid from her shoulders as she arched her neck. Eric ran his face along her neck, sensing the blood flowing beneath the skin. Zoë sighed as desire and anxiety filled her. Eric felt his fangs lurch forth.  
>"Now, Eric." Her voice was a barley audible whisper, and Eric gave in to his animal side.<br>One quick plunge, and his teeth slid cleanly into her neck as her knees gave and they sank to the floor.

* * *

><p>Eric hurried out of Constantinople, Zoë hidden under a sheet in the back of the wagon, the horses snorting in the cool February air. The blood had been exchanged, and now Zoë was turning into an immortal creature. He knew Constantinople was no place to turn someone. New vampires awoke thirsty and bold, and a city of half a million posed too many dangers. Also, once it was realized Zoë was missing, word would reach the Emperor about her being last seen with the Swede, and Eric would no longer be welcome at court. But right now he didn't care. Constantinople was a city of humans, and Zoë was no longer one. The city walls flew past, and the land climbed into the highlands of the Greek mountains. His destination was an olive farm he owned. There, he would have the privacy Zoë deserved.<p>

The next evening, Zoë Nekratous rose with an unearthly sheen to her cold skin, and Eric was waiting. "Here, this will make you feel stronger," and he was holding a cup of sticky red.  
>Zoë gulped down the cup, and licked her lips. "I feel really tingly all over."<br>"That's the vampire blood in you, sustaining you. We have no idea how it works, but you will not age a day from now on."  
>Zoë nodded, and felt her new fangs. Eric handed a mirror, so she could see.<br>"Vampi-I mean, we,-show up in mirrors? But the legends say we don't."  
>"We do. It's just a myth we created ourselves. It's much older than I am, it goes back to the old Roman Empire."<br>She looked at her new self, and laughed. "This is so amazing." She ran her fingers down her new fangs. "So, how many of us is there."  
>Eric shrugged. "Millions. We may outnumber humans, we do not know."<br>"I've entered a whole new world."  
>Eric nodded. "Welcome, my dear, to the world of the night."<p>

* * *

><p>So Zoë has retreated from the human world. However the human world will interject one more time in a tragic turn, and someone will not survive.<p> 


	5. Time Shall Stand Still

To Eric's relief, Zoë enjoyed her new life. While losing the Sun was depressing for the first few months, she made up for it by reading anything she could get her hands on, as over two centuries Eric had accumulated quite a library. He also was surprised to see she had a good head for business. She'd check the records carefully, coming up with new ways to make Eric's operations, like the big olive farm they called home, more efficient. When Eric asked her where she got all these skills, she would grin and say, "I'm the only child of a brilliant father."  
>The one thing Zoë did not like at all at first was the idea of drinking from a human. It took a long time (about two years) before she could stand to see where Eric got the blood from, and even then he had to be the one that drained out the blood. She wouldn't subdue and drain a human herself for several decades.<p>

Like Eric had thought, when the Imperial Court realized Zoë was missing, all hell broke loose in Constantinople. Emperor Manuel Komnenos was personally furious, the guards scoured the nearby countryside (but didn't penetrate deep enough into Greece to find the olive farm), and a monetary reward was put out for information on Zoë's whereabouts. But human resources were no match for vampiric powers, and once Zoë quickly learned glamouring, no human recalled seeing her. Fortunately, Emperor Manuel got sidetracked a year later by invading southern Italy, and the missing noblewoman faded into the past.  
>Heroditus kept the two informed of Constantinople intrigue, and once Manuel died in 1180, the two returned to court from time to time, passing off as a new envoy and his wife. And so, Eric and Zoë settled into the passing of the years.<p>

* * *

><p>1204<p>

The letter arrived by express courier. Heroditus had written quickly, the Greek text smeared. "Come now." Eric showed Zoë the short letter, and she nodded.  
>"I'll stay here, watch over everything. It's probably something with the Crusaders." The Fourth Crusade was underway, the armies of Europe massing to retake the Holy Land. But there were tensions between Emperor Isaac II and the armies, as Constantinople would not send its own armies. Little did anyone know of the disastrous storm about to break.<p>

On the night of April 12, Eric reached the old city. The city gates were shut tight, and Eric had to glamour the keeper to let him past the walls. He had noticed literally thousands of armed knights in the streets, tension in the air. He raced to Heroditus's house, and found the old vampire staring at a mosaic.  
>"Can you feel the fear in the air, Northie?"<br>Eric nodded. "What is happening? Why are they all here?"  
>"The Emperor won't pay them, and Venice is jealous of the trade. The others know the Empire is weak. They are vultures, coming in for the kill. Tomorrow, I am leaving Constantinople for Baghdad."<br>"If you are so worried, perhaps you should go tonight." Eric gulped. "I can tell something bad is about to happen."  
>Heroditus shook his head. "I have to save these." He pointed to a box of scrolls. Eric gestured to the door.<br>"I have a wagon. We can load them up and leave. It's been terribly dry lately." At this point in time, cities were made of wood, and a siege always meant fire.  
>"Alright." The ancient vampire picked the box up. "Let's leave."<p>

But before they could get far, a group of knights stopped them, asking for papers. Eric gestured towards the way they came. "They are back home." As he turned, he noticed an ominous orange glow in the distance: fire. The knight nodded. "Hurry, sir, and we will stay here."  
>As Eric disappeared into the shadows, he heard a yell behind him. He turned around, and saw Heroditus struggling with a knight. Behind the vampire, another knight drew his sword. "No!" The ancient vampire pleaded. The crusader lifted the sword, and Eric realized what was happening. He watched in horror as the sword came down, plunging into Heroditus's chest. His screams turned to gargles, and Eric staggered back. Before, this night was dangerous. It now was deadly.<p>

Eric ran through the streets and alleys, screams all around him. Horses thundered past, and knights in chain mail moved past, clearing the way of anyone unlucky enough to still be alive and in their way. The Fourth Crusade had gone horribly wrong, and the ground shook with anger as explosions rippled in the distance. The sky glowed orange from the raging inferno devastating the city. Eric ran into an open park, and saw a horrifyingly beautiful sight: Hagia Sophia, the pride of Justinian, reflecting the shimmering flames. The six hundred year old church itself was made of stone and would survive, but the surrounding districts were dry wood. Eric knew he needed to get to the safety of the countryside before he was incinerated in the flames. He moved as fast as he could through the fleeing crowds, panic on everyone's faces. The previous July, another siege had damaged the city, but this threatened to destroy Constantinople once and for all.

After what seemed like an eternity, Eric reached the gates. Fortunately for him, the crusaders had torn down the barriers, and Eric slipped out of the chaos into the night. As he ran for his life, red tears streamed down his face, as he swore in Old Swedish. Why the hell did this have to happen? The crusaders had turned on the hand that had fed them, the Emperor had been killed, and the humans were running blindly in panic. If I could just reach the open countryside. But Eric had a powerful advantage: vampiric speed and strength, and soon he was alone on a barren road, only the sound of his horrified sobs and the distant explosions breaking the still. Heroditus had been killed for nothing, sixteen centuries gone so a group of humans could have some twisted fun. Eric was so bitterly angry, he cursed the whole human race as he stumbled.

A wagon pulled up alongside, and a familiar soft voice called his name. Zoë had returned, the blood bond leading her right to him. She stepped down, shrouded in a cloak, and watched in horror as the greatest city in the world burned. The wind was harsh and warm, feeding the flames. "My God, _why_?"  
>"Who knows. War is madness."<br>She could smell the smoke on Eric, and he could feel her horror as the city she called home was destroyed in front of them. The two seemed so small in that moment, the far-off flames painting their cold skin orange, red tears hitting the cold rocky earth.

They both knew the time had come to move on from Constantinople.

* * *

><p>The Crusaders placed a puppet king on the Byzantine throne, which was regained by the old line sixty years later. But by then, the Byzantine Empire was dying. The Turks drove relentlessly from the East as the western frontier of the empire fell apart. In 1453 the Muslims would capture Constantinople, ending the Byzantine and creating the Ottoman Empire. The Greek name was unpronounceable to the Turks, so they eventually shortened the name to what the city is called today: Istanbul. Today, Istanbul is once more a thriving trade center, with over twelve million in the sprawling city, the chief link between Europe and South Asia. Hagia Sophia still stands, fourteen centuries of history in its walls.<p>

Eric and Zoë remained together for five centuries, roaming through Europe and Asia. Zoë in particular loved China and the exotic lands to the East. In 1685, Eric would sail for Virginia, seeing a new opportunity. By then, he and Zoë were more close friends then lovers, and she decided to stay behind in Greece, guarding Eric's European interests. When the Revealing came, Europe was more welcoming than the United States, and Zoë Nekratous is today something of a local heroine in northern Greece, a (sort of) living symbol of the nation's history and pride.

Meanwhile, Eric steadily ascended the vampire hierarchy in the New World, and by the time he reached the thousand year mark, was the most powerful vampire in the state of Louisiana. However, as he gained power, the human traces left in him slowly withered, until by the year 2000 he seemed a cold and removed vampire. Or so it was thought.

* * *

><p>I may write something new with Zoë; I like writing for her. Also, notice her name: Zoë means "life" and "Nekratous" comes from the same root as the Greek word for death: "life of death."<p> 


End file.
